


White Wolf

by spnjediavenger



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-07 04:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18230006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spnjediavenger/pseuds/spnjediavenger
Summary: Elliana Moore got into the hunting life like many others - through a tragic experience involving demons. The teen is practically alone, hunting, for a year, when she crosses paths with the infamous Winchester brothers. Sam asks her to tag along with them for a few hunts and after a couple weeks with the boys, Ellie realizes she doesn't want to leave. What role will she play in the Winchester's ever-evolving journey?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: nothing major in the beginning besides general Supernatural violence but it's light  
> Later on there are panic attacks, mentions/implied rape (POSSIBLE TRIGGERS); these will be noted at the beginning.  
> SPOILERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED FROM SEASON 5 ONWARDS

Chapter 1: Sam and Dean Winchester

Disclaimers: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters; Creds to Wikipedia for 70% of the grootslang lore i include (yes, it’s a real legend!)  
Time frame: set early S5

A slight lurch awoke Elliana. She sat up in her seat, stretched her arms above her head, and looked out the bus window to see woods all around her. She let out a small smile at the sight, always feeling at home in nature.  
The passengers of the bus began standing to get off and Elliana did the same, grabbing ahold of the leash at her side. She stood, awaking the loyal dog at her feet and, once outside, she walked, with the aid of a map, until she came to a wooden arch held up by stone columns reading ‘Welcome to Paradise. DOGWOOD CANYON NATURE PARK’.  
For a while, she took her time wandering around, taking in the sights, giving her dog a chance to stretch; for the next day, her hunt would begin.  
Once Elliana had a room to stay in the park, she let her dog loose in the room and pulled out her laptop and brought up the news stories she found associated to the park. There had been disappearances in the park for the past 2 weeks and there had seemed to be no connection to any of the victims.  
Since it was later, Elliana just went through some basics before going to bed; tomorrow would bring some heavier research.  
On her third day at Dogwood Canyon, Elliana woke up and headed to one of the restaurants located there. She sat in a corner booth, eating and looking over her notes before she would go out and search the park and its caves for the creature she was hunting. What she didn’t know was that two hunters had arrived that morning and they were currently right across the room.  
Sam and Dean Winchester walked into the building and sat at the bar off to the side.  
“You two hunters?” the bartender asked quietly as he approached the boys.  
They shared a surprised look then nodded.  
“You may be here for nothin’,” he continued. “Word is another hunter is already here.”  
Dean looked at Sam, a skeptical look on his face, and then turned back to the bartender. “Yeah, well even if that’s true, we’re gonna check the place out anyway.” The bartender shrugged and took the guys’ orders, gave it to another worker, and returned to give them drinks.  
Sam and Dean had been looking around, their eyes stopping on Elliana.  
“What’s with the kid in the corner booth?” Dean asked, raising a brow at the bartender.  
“Not sure. She’s been here a few days though. Kind of a shadow, that one. Always slippin’ in and out and always writing in that notebook of hers,” he said, cleaning a glass behind the counter.  
“And you never talked to her? Asked her anything?” Sam spoke up.  
“Tried to. First time, she said she was waiting for someone. Second time, she faked a call. Never got a third try. She started watchin’ me I suppose. ‘Cause any time I went to talk again, she’d disappeared before I could get to her.” Sam and Dean share a look.  
“One of my boys got a glimpse of her book the other day though. Had a picture of a banshee on it.”  
The guys snap their heads over to her, eyes wide.  
“A banshee?”  
“Are you sure?”  
He nodded.  
Sam looks at Elliana again, squinting his eyes. “Hey dean – doesn’t that backpack look familiar to you?”  
Dean looks closer and his jaw drops. “Son of a bitch…  
On a previous hunt, Sam and Dean had caught a glimpse of a figure tailing them. They never spoke up; the boys didn’t even notice them until the end of the hunt and the person was a second too late at leaving, allowing the boys to see their backpack only. Their face was covered but they had lost their necklace in fleeing.  
Sam pulls out said necklace; he and dean look at each other, then get up and walk over to Ellie.  
“Go away,” Ellie said before the guys could get a word out.  
“We jus-“  
“I didn’t ask why you came over here – I told you to leave,” she said shortly.  
Dean huffs and grabs her necklace from Sam’s hand and holds it out to her, already starting to get frustrated with her demeanor. “Alright, so I guess this isn’t yours then?”  
Her eyes gave a quick, almost non-existent glance, and then she did a double take and shot out of her seat, going to grab it. “Where did you get that?!”  
Dean holds it up above her head. “Nope, you answer some questions, then you’ll get it back,” he said smugly.  
“Give it back, you idiot!” she whisper-yelled, trying to pull his arm down.  
Sam picks up on the urgency in her eyes and takes the necklace back from Dean, putting it in his jacket pocket to try and prevent a scene from unfolding, then looks to Elliana.  
“Look, we just want to talk-“ Sam starts, but is cut off by Elliana.  
“Hey!” she yells at Dean, who was moving to grab her journal. She snatched it out of his reach and punched his arm with more force than he’d expect from someone her age.  
“What was that for?!” he yells back, rubbing his arm.  
She quirks a brow and looks over at Sam. “Is he always this stupid or is it just on Mondays?”  
Dean gives her a bitch face and Sam cant help but laugh.  
Ellie finds the tension inside her letting up the slightest bit at that. Something about Sam made her less on guard; more…comfortable. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.  
“Can we please talk? You wont have to share anything you don’t want to. But I think we could help each other. We’re hunters,” Sam says hopefully, offering a hopeful smile.  
She glances between him and dean, finally resting on Sam.  
“Ok,” she sighs. “But your nosy dog stays here,” she reasons, grabbing her things and putting them in her bag, which she proceeded to sling over her shoulder.  
“You little-“  
“That’s fine,” Sam interrupts his brother. “He was going to look into some things anyway,” he continued, giving Dean a hard stare, signaling that this wasn’t up for negotiation.  
“Unbelievable,” Dean mutters. As he’s about to walk away, a crash is heard from across the bar and Elliana jumps into Sam, grabbing ahold of his coat. He freezes for a moment then puts a careful hand on her shoulder.  
“You ok?” he asks warily.  
“Perfect actually,” she said, stepping away from him with a smirk on her face. The guys look at her confused. “And here I thought I might have to do something a lot more dramatic to get this back,” she continued proudly, holding up her necklace. She walks away from the boys, who are frozen, dumbfounded. “And by the way, what I do is none of your business and what you do is none of mine. And I don’t care that you hunt; a lot of people want to hunt here but it’s protected. Now stay away from me.”  
(The next morning.)  
Elliana stared down at her wrapped wrist and sighed, ignoring the sting of the gash on her face. How did this happen? she thought.  
Across the room, the Winchesters walked into the restaurant again. They look around until their eyes lock on Elliana. They go to walk over when Sam grabs Dean’s shoulder.  
“Dude, look at her face,” he said, pointing her way.  
Dean’s face fell a bit and he muttered a ‘shit’ under his breath. Sam nodded his head her way and they approached her. This time, she didn’t reject them right away; she merely sat in silence, staring down at the table.  
“Hey,” Sam spoke gently.  
No response.  
Dean nudges Sam to speak again.  
“What uh…what happened? Are you alright?” he said carefully, worry lines creasing his forehead.  
“Go away,” she finally spoke, though only in a hushed tone.  
“Kid, we can see you’re hurt. Just tell us what happened,” Dean said.  
Nothing again.  
The guys sighed and begrudgingly walked off to the side, away from the Elliana.   
“Alright, she won’t talk. We’re on our own then. Wendigo?” Dean asks Sam.  
“Best guess as any. Let’s grab the torches from the car and start hiking.”  
Just as the guys started walking away, Elliana called out to them. “It’s not a wendigo, you know.”  
The guys turned to face her, surprised. They shared a look and Sam stepped forward.  
“What is it?”  
Elliana lets out a light sigh, still not looking at them. “It’s a grootslang.”  
“A what?” Dean says right away, furrowing his brow.  
Elliana finally looks at Sam, who nods encouragingly. She looks at Dean, then to Sam again and sighs once more. “Come with me,” she said, sliding out of the booth. The guys see her arm and Dean goes to grab her shoulder but she steps away before he can. He puts his hands up defensively.  
“I was just gonna say we should take care of your wounds first; we’re not gonna hurt you.”  
“I can take care of myself-“  
“The cut on your face looks infected; just let me help you clean it out and wrap your arm in something more stable,” Sam reasoned, a caring look on his face.  
“Just follow me,” Elliana said shortly, brushing past the boys. They shared another look then followed her out of the restaurant.  
Elliana led Sam and Dean up into a tree house in the middle of the woods surrounding Dogwood Canyon. The guys looked around as she rummaged through some things under the bed. Anaya came out from the side room, growling at the boys, making each take a step back.  
“Uh…kid? What’s up with the mutt?” Dean said.  
“First off, she’s not a mutt. She’s a Siberian husky. Second, her name is Anaya and she’s mine. Been my hunting partner practically since the beginning. She won’t hurt you unless I say so.”  
“Alright then…You payin’ for this place?” Dean asked.  
“No,” she responded, still on a short fuse. “No one’s going to let a 13 year old check into a place like this by herself. It’s an old tree house – and by the state of it and lack of paths around it, I suspect they haven’t used it for awhile. Found it when I got here a couple days ago.”  
She finally dug out a first aid kit and walked into the small bathroom, leaving the door open.  
“Are you sure you don’t want help?” Sam asked again.  
“Grootslang, or “Grote Slang” in Afrikaans, are cryptids,” Elliana began, ignoring Sam’s offer. Sam sighed but listened to her explanation, running his had through Anaya’s fur as she stepped up to him. “Legend comes out of South Africa. When the ‘gods’ were still in the beginning stages of making things, they mistakenly gave it a crap load of strength, cunning, and intellect. So, the ‘gods’ tore ‘em in half to make the first elephants and snakes.”  
Elliana walked out of the bathroom with her wrist properly wrapped and cut cleaned and continued to talk. “But, one of the original grootslang escaped and was rumored to live/hide in a cave and it would lure elephants and snakes into its cave.”  
“Hold on,” Dean interrupted. “You said South Africa. Kinda far don’t you think?”  
Elliana gives him a hard stare. “That original grootslang is said to have spawned all other grootslang to exist and its cave connects to the sea. Eventually, there wasn’t enough food for all of them so they spanned out through the tunnel.”  
“Well I hate to break it to you, kid, but there are no elephants around here. And it’s people dying – not snakes,” Dean said.  
“Look here, Dean – you wanted help, I’m giving it to you. I’m not just some useless kid. And if you would stop interrupting me, you would know that once the grootslang didn’t find enough elephants and snakes to prey upon, which is why they branched so far out – the original wanted to destroy everything its family was torn into – they took to preying on humans that resembled those animals. The victims that have gone missing here are all either heavy – representing elephants, or tall and skinny – representing snakes. Grootslang live in watery caves; the one here is inside the cave across from the restaurant I was in.” Elliana finished with her arms crossed over her chest.  
“So how do we kill it?” Sam spoke up.  
“Sam, do you really think this kid-“  
“Dean, we did ask for her help. And everything she’s said makes sense. She knows her stuff.”  
Elliana did her best to hide her surprise at Sam’s backup.  
“How’d you get hurt?” Dean asked, ignoring Sam.  
“Dude!”  
“You say she knows her stuff, fine. Then how does she get injured so easily?”  
Wham! Elliana’s fist flew across Dean’s face. It nowhere near knocked him out, but it still hurt enough for his own hand to fly up and grab the spot.  
“Son of a bitch!” he said, pulling his hand away to inspect it for blood, which he found a small amount of. “What the hell?!”  
“Yeah, I was following you guys on your last hunt – it was so I could learn more about the supernatural on a case I knew would have been too much for me on my own. I had intel that the surviving grootslang are much smaller than the original since the original had to spawn without a mate. I thought I could handle it but there ended up being two. And I’m sure that that’s happened to even you before. The only reason I didn’t let you two walk off, thinking this was a wendigo, was because I knew you would’ve been killed going under the wrong assumption. So I don’t need you in here questioning me because I’m young and telling the great Dean that he was wrong. So if you want to kill this thing, get off your high horse and follow me to the cave.”  
With that, Elliana stormed into the side room to gather her hunting bag, leaving a surprised Dean and Sam, who was going back and forth from curiosity – of what the girl must have been through to make her so rough and defensive, and humor – as he tried to hide his smirk at the fact Dean just got hit by a teenage girl.  
Elliana and the guys stood outside the cave, preparing to go in. After collecting her things, Elliana led the way in quite an uncomfortable silence, still fuming from the way Dean had talked down to her.  
“Ok, so how do we gank these things?” Sam asked her.  
“Gank?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. Sam simply shrugged so she continued. “Since I don’t know of any hunters encountering these before, I had to try and go off my own judgment. Venom is something that snakes evolved with over time as a defense mechanism, meaning these grootslang would be just as susceptible to its effects as any other animal, supposedly. So,” she reached back into her bag to pull out a jar and a dartgun, “I collected a bunch of snake venom and filled darts with them.”  
“That’s pretty brilliant,” Sam said with a small smile, inspecting the gun.  
“But, that’s the other reason I ended up getting hurt. The venom either isn’t strong enough, or I don’t have enough of it to be affective on a creature this big. It only slows them down for a little while. Knocked one out, the next came at me, and as I was trying to get to a vantage point to shoot it, the first came to. Crushed my arm against the wall with its tusk, the other went to bite me but I was able to pull away in time to get away with just this,” she finished, pointing at the gash on her face.  
“So, the venom only stuns them?”  
“Yes. As far as I know anyway. So, I got some more intel, and from legend, these things coveted gems. Some of their victims could even get away if they paid the grootslang with precious jewels – diamonds being the most sought after. And while my contact has never come across one, he was able to tell me that once the deities found the creatures coveting jewels and not them and that was the final straw. So they cut them up with the jewels they so coveted to make elephants and snakes. So a weapon of diamond,” Elliana pulls a dagger from her bag; “can kill them.”  
“Where the hell’d you get ahold of something like that?” Dean spoke up. Elliana gave him a cold look but answered him.  
“Contact. You have your people, I have mine,” she said simply, thinking back to her exchange with her guardian the night before.  
“Let me heal you,” he said, sad to see his ‘ladybird’ hurt.  
She pushed away his hand and rolled over on the bed. Even Anaya lay somberly next to Ellie, the dog’s head resting on her legs.  
“Look, kid, I know you’re bummed but you didn’t know what would happen. But I know you can do it,” the angel said, giving her a comforting smile.  
Elliana just lay still, making him sigh.  
“I talked to a friend the other day; told me how to kill these guys. Here’s some lore you didn’t find yet,” he said, laying a paper next to her. “The deities carved them into elephants and snakes with diamond daggers. My friend was a bit reluctant to give me one but let’s just say I was convincing,” he finished with a smirk, pulling out a diamond dagger.  
He still got no response.  
He sighed. “I’ll leave this here for you. Incase you change your mind. Take care, sweet cheeks. Remember Gabe’s always here for you,” he finished, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder before vanishing.  
Elliana broke out of her momentary trance and got back to business.  
“So here’s what we’re gonna do – I take the blade-“  
“No,” Dean’s gruff voice said.  
“What?” Elliana responded, a challenging look on her face.  
“Maybe it would just be a good idea if you let one of us take it,” Sam interjected, not ready for another match between she and Dean. “You’re already injured; we don’t want it to happen again.”  
Elliana turned to face Sam. “These things hurt me once – they’re not getting the chance again. And I’ve been hunting by myself for over a year now and I’m not gonna let you baby me just because you’re older,” she said, her voice dominant. “You take the dart gun,” she hands the item back to Sam; “And you can take the rest of the venom in this jar and coat one of your weapons in it,” Elliana finishes, tossing the jar to Dean. “You guys can go in first, if you want, and stun them with the venom. But I finish them off.”  
Elliana walks away to let the guys prepare their things and Dean looks at Sam.  
“Great. Now we have to babysit. Freaking 10 year old telling us how to do our job.”  
He didn’t give Sam time to respond before he walked towards the cave entrance with his venom-coated knife.  
The boys entered the cave, Dean groaning about having to go through the water.  
Elliana led them around a few areas until the finally got to the grootslang’s nest near the back. Everyone stilled as splashes were heard. Elliana motioned for the guys to move the opposite direction as she began climbing the rocks along the cave walls.  
Dean rolled his eyes once more and shook his head, still hating this plan, when a large figure came out of hiding. They guys froze at the beast before them; a long, darkly scaled body slid through the shallow water, and by a crack in the ceiling, the light shone on an elephant-like head, trunk running from underneath its chin and razor-sharp teeth filling its mouth. A snake-like tongue shot out as the creature looked around the cave.  
The guys went after the first creature, which towered a few feet taller than them, as Elliana approached the second grootslang, curled up in the back of the cave on the bank of the water. She slunk carefully above it on the rocks, looked over to the guys to make sure they were holding their own, and swiftly jumped down, plunging her diamond blade into the grootslang’s body, just behind the head.  
The guys and even the other grootslang paused at the shriek emitted from the grootslang Elliana stabbed.  
The first, bleeding slightly from Dean slicing it with his knife, slithered as quickly as it could towards Elliana but stopped cold when her blade was thrown strategically into its throat. It, too, let out a cry as it fell to the ground.  
The guys looked from the two dead grootslang to Elliana, unable to hide the shock from their faces.  
Elliana gave Sam a small smile, which turned into a smug one as she looked at Dean.  
“Don’t underestimate me,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she walked forward the grab her blade from the grootslang’s chest.  
“And I’m 13, by the way. Not 10,” she called back as she walked out of the cave.  
The following morning, Elliana stopped into the restaurant one more time to get something to eat before hopping on a bus to move again.  
To her slight dismay, two figures slid themselves into the seats across from her, eliciting a deep sigh and bowed head from her.  
“Look,” Sam chuckled. “I know you’re not our biggest fan but we just wanted to say you did a great job last night,” he smiled at her.  
“You really did,” Dean added, making Ellie go wide-eyed as she snapped her head towards him. “Look, I’m sorry I talked down to you, kid. You can probably guess we don’t come across many hunters as young as you. Maybe a part of me was hoping I could get you to quit,” he continued, giving a sad smile.  
Elliana did her best to not to give him much of a smile. What he said was nice, but it would take a lot more to get her to be able to trust either brother.  
“Thanks. But I don’t think that’s ever gonna happen,” she said, keeping any emotion from her face. “I know enough about hunting to know there is no quitting.”  
Dean slightly shrugged. “Fair enough.”  
“So, you’re gonna keep moving then?” Sam said.  
Ellie nodded, finishing up her food.  
“I know you’re going to want to shoot me down right away but hear me out first-“  
“’Cause that just makes me eager to listen,” Ellie said sarcastically, adding an eye roll for extra effect.  
“I know you won’t quit hunting, and that you’ve been doing it for awhile now, and you’re fully capable of taking care of yourself – but why don’t you come with us for just a few hunts? At least let us see you in action a little more and feel better about leaving you. But it would also give you the chance to get to know us and maybe come with us from now on.”  
Sam finishes and Ellie looks between him and Dean, partly wondering if she heard right, and partly wanting to do as Sam had said earlier – shoot him down right away. But something in Ellie couldn’t help trust them a little. Well – Sam anyway.  
Ellie sighed and looked over at Dean. “You know Anaya comes too, right? Aren’t you afraid of messing up your precious car?” she smirked. It came out as a joke but she secretly hoped it would make Dean reconsider their offer. Though he only rolled his eyes.  
“Yeah, ha ha. I know the dog comes. But if it poops or pees in my baby one time, I’m throwing both of you out on the side of the road,” he points at Ellie accusingly.  
Dang it, she thought. Ellie gave a long sigh and looked over to Sam, defeated. “All right. I’ll come with you. But,” she said, catching the victorious smile on his face. “Don’t get your hopes up.”  
“Yeah, yeah, of course,” he said, still smiling.  
Elliana rolled her eyes. “Let’s hit it, then. I have to grab Anaya.”  
“Hold up a sec, kid,” Dean said. “Can you give us your name first? Hell, we haven’t even thought to ask you yet.”  
“Elliana. Or Ellie.”  
“Ellie…why does your name sound familiar?” Dean said, furrowing a brow.  
Elliana furrowed her own brow as she thought about the same thing – and how she couldn’t shake the same feeling when the boys introduced themselves the other night. “I…kind of feel the same way…what’s your last name?!” Ellie’s head shoots up, feeling she had it.  
“Winchester,” Sam said, more confused than she or Dean.  
Then it clicked.  
“Sam and Dean Winchester? Huh, I can’t believe it,” Ellie let out an airy laugh.  
The guys share a questioning look.  
“How do you know us? Have we met before?” Dean asked.  
“Well, I know you, Dean. And we didn’t exactly meet. I called you for help. Elliana Moore.”  
“Elliana Moore…Ellie Moore. I do remember now,” Dean points his finger, trying to dig through his memory banks. “Yeah, you called about vamps, right? How’d that go?”  
Elliana was flashed to a hazy image of fangs out, the mouth they belong to pointing up to a smirk, hovering close above her face. The vague feeling of fear running though her veins.  
“Ellie?” Sam questioned, worry lines crossing his forehead at her dazed look.  
“Kid, you alright?”  
Elliana snapped out of her daze to meet the boys’ concerned and confused expressions. “What? Yeah…yeah. I’m good. It was good. Let’s go,” she said quickly, confusion filling her mind as well.  
She got up and led the way out of the restaurant with Sam and Dean following her, unsure of what happened but not ready to push anything yet. They were at least glad she agreed to go with them; and that was a start.


	2. Motels and Memories

Disclaimers: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters  
Time frame: set early S5  
Notes: flashbacks made possible by @sarimaposthumous ; we are connecting our fics a little bit (hers is called The High Priestess – go check it out). More background on her character, Shane to come!

 

Chapter 2: Motels and Memories   
Elliana’s legs were sore and her stomach was empty. It had only been a few days but her money ran out and she hadn’t slept in a real bed since leaving her home.  
After walking so far, her legs finally collapsed underneath her. She sat on the ground, taking in her surroundings to find somewhere to rest, when her eyes stopped on a rustic-looking building around the corner. She begrudgingly got up and walked to it and stepped inside, only to find out it was a bar.  
She sighed and ran a hand through her slightly messy hair and asked to just use the restroom, finding any excuse to be inside for even a little bit. It didn’t take any more than that for the employees to be concerned, and the manager had approached her when she came out, offering a meal in exchange for her story.

“Kid? Hey, kid!” Dean called from the driver’s seat, snapping Elliana from her trance.  
“What?”  
Dean rolled his eyes but responded. “I said, ‘we’re here’. Let’s go.”  
Ellie grabbed her backpack, duffel, and Anaya’s leash and opened the Impala’s door, following Sam and Dean to their next motel, and sighed. Even though she was used to these places, she still hated them.  
“The hunters that travel – how do they live? Where do they live?”  
“Sometimes they sleep in their car in the middle of nowhere or will squat in any empty house if they’re low on money. When they do have money, they just stay in motels.”  
“Sounds kinda crappy, but it’s better than sleeping outside,” Ellie said, giving a sad smirk as she thought of the past couple nights before stopping at the bar; sleeping under bridges or in a secluded corner, only being able to get a few hours’ sleep each night because she was too afraid of being caught off-guard.  
After almost 24 hours on the road, Ellie supposed she was willing to accept anything besides the Impala’s back seat to sleep on.  
Once the guys paid for a room, they piled in and set their things down. Taking a quick look around, Ellie saw a small bathroom ahead, a small kitchenette, two beds, and a couch in front of a TV.  
“Ok, I don’t know what you’re used to-“  
“I’ll take the couch,” Elliana interrupted Dean.  
“No, I’ll take the couch,” Sam said, not wanting a 13-year-old to have to sleep on a motel couch.  
“Your chivalry is appreciated but not necessary,” Ellie said, a light smirk on her face. Sam looked unsure so she rolled her eyes and continued. “If it bothers you that much, we can trade off. I’ll take the couch this time, you can take it next time. Ok?”  
Sam let out an airy chuckle and nodded his head, turning towards the bathroom but groaning when Dean ran past him to get to it first, practically closing the door in his face.  
Ellie held in a laugh and unhooked Anaya’s leash, letting her roam around the small room while she took a few things out of her backpack.  
As soon as Anaya was free, she padded over to Sam, who now sat on the edge of one of the beds. The dog placed her head under his hand and sat in front of him. Sam couldn’t help but smile. He had to admit – it was pretty nice having a dog around.  
“So why ‘Anaya’?” he asked Elliana, gently stroking the dog’s fur.  
“It’s Arabic; means ‘care’ or ‘protection’,” she responded, not looking up from her bag.  
“So is she your protector?” Sam said, hoping some light prodding would get the girl to open up to him a little bit.  
Elliana sensed this, though, and turned to look at him; at first, however, she was thrown off by how close and calm Anaya was with him. She was not a very trusting dog, aside from with Ellie, and was always quite standoffish with strangers.  
The dog’s apparent trust in the younger Winchester put Elliana a little more at ease so she sighed and answered him. “Shortly after I started hunting, I was in trouble with a werewolf. She came out of nowhere and tackled it, giving me the chance to get my knife back and kill it. So, I took her with me. Her senses are good and she’s been a great hunting partner. We protect each other.”  
Sam blinked in surprise, not expecting an actual answer from Ellie. But his surprise was replaced with a small smile as he nodded and looked back to the dog.  
“I’m surprised she’s like that with you,” Ellie added absently, going back to organizing her things. “She never takes to strangers at all hardly; she’s known you for like, 2 days and is acting like your friend.”  
“She obviously knows an awesome person when she sees one,” he said, smirking Ellie’s way.  
“Wow, and here I thought Dean was the cheeky one,” she joked, giving no reaction.  
Baby steps, Sam thought.  
Another day, another state, another hunt, and of course – another motel.  
Elliana and the Winchesters just completed a hunt chasing a shapeshifter, and let’s just say Ellie, for once, couldn’t get into the motel soon enough. Exhaustion slowed her movements and clouded her mind; all she wanted was a shower and some sleep.  
Once in their room, Dean, as usual, ran to the bathroom first, getting an eye roll from both Sam and Ellie. Sam allowed Ellie to go next, leaving Anaya with the boys. Dean walked past, giving her a quick pet, and walked to his bag to throw his dirty clothes in it. He turned around to see Sam’s shocked expression.  
“What?”  
“You pet the dog…”  
“She was there, I walked by, why not? Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Dean said, quickly dismissing the matter. Sam smirked a bit but dropped it. It wasn’t just the dog, though. Elliana had been with the boys for about five days now and she was slowly growing on Dean – even if she was still a bit wary of them both. Dean had even put himself into the switching for beds idea with her and Sam.  
Elliana got out of the bathroom and clomped over to the couch, but Dean put a cautious hand on her shoulder and nodded to one of the beds.  
“I know it’s your turn for the couch, but why don’t you take the bed tonight? Looks like you could use it,” he said simply, doing his best to keep any traces of a soft demeanor from showing on his face.  
Ellie wanted to protest, not wanting to be babied, but her sore muscles and tempting look of the beds won her over. She gave Dean a quiet ‘thanks’ and went over to the bed, falling not-so-graciously onto it with a happy groan, Anaya quick to join her, laying across her owner’s back.  
Sam and Dean let out silent chuckles and went about their post-hunt routines.  
One week with the Winchesters and Elliana was still fairly closed off. She would talk to them, but the second they brought up anything personal, her communication cut off for a short time.  
The next motel they were in was a bit nicer than any of them were used to, and this time an extra person met them there. Upon seeing someone in the room when the door was opened, Elliana drew a knife from her belt and held it up defensively.  
“Who are you?!”  
“Woah, kid, hold it!” Dean called, grabbing the knife from her hand.  
“He’s with us, Elliana,” Sam coaxed a bit urgently, not wanting a situation starting.  
“Kid, this is Cas, Cas this is Elliana,” Dean said, gesturing to each person as he introduced them.  
“Elliana,” Cas said contemplatively. “What a beautiful name.”  
The man’s relaxed demeanor and gravely voice had a strangely calming effect on Ellie, causing her to relax her shoulders. “Thanks…” she said, hoping none of the guys could see the light blush dusting her cheeks. “It means ‘God’-“  
“’God has answered,’” she and the angel ended up saying at the same time.  
Ellie looked at him, confused. “Are you religious or something? Not many people know that name.”  
“Cas is an angel,” Dean said.  
“No way.” The bright smile on Elliana’s face shocked the boys. After a week, they hadn’t gotten anything other than a tiny smirk; Cas is around for a minute and she smiles. “Like, a real live angel? From heaven?!”  
“Yes,” Cas answers, a bit surprised at her reaction. “My full name is Castiel, but here I am mainly called ‘Cas’.”  
“No way,” Elliana repeats in awe, still smiling.  
Cas was still fairly new to humans and their emotions but he could see a sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him.  
“Cas, how’d you do that?” Sam asks, jaw dropped a bit.  
“Do what? I don’t understand.”  
“Get her to smile? We’ve been tryin’ for a week now,” Dean added, just as dumbfounded as his brother.  
Ellie rolled her eyes a bit then turned her attention back to Cas.   
“What’s heaven like? Do all angels look human? How come you’re on earth?”  
Cas couldn’t help the small smile that made its way on his face the innocent questions and excitement in Elliana’s voice  
A few days later, another state, another hunt, you know the drill.  
Elliana, Sam, and Dean sat in the small living area of their current motel room, eating dinner before they would turn in for the night. Elliana sat on the couch with Dean, to both boys’ surprise, and Sam sat on the chair perpendicular to them.  
“Alright kid, it’s been a week and a half of you bein’ with us and we don’t know squat about you. I get you don’t trust anyone but you gotta know by now that we’re not here to hurt you,” Dean said, bypassing any gentler ways to bring the topic up.  
“What Dean means,” Sam interjected, knowing he’d be better than his brother with touchier topics. “Is that we’d like to get to know you a bit. It doesn’t have to be anything that deep if you don’t want. How about a question for a question? You can ask us anything, then we get to ask you something,” he finished, a hopeful look and easygoing smile on his face.  
“Look, you’re not going crazy; and I know it’s a lot to process. I’ll tell you everything you need to know and answer any questions as long as you tell me what happened. Does that sound like a deal?”  
Ellie looked at the table and let out a sigh. The man seemed nice enough. And the thought of talking about her experience to someone who actually believes in the supernatural? She felt a small spark in her chest at the idea.  
“Ok…how about a question for a question? You can go first since you gave me food,” Ellie said, giving a weak smirk and finally giving some attention to the meal in front of her.  
He nodded and thought about it for a second before asking, “What’s your name?”  
“Elliana. What’s yours?”  
“Shane.”

“Ok,” she whispered. “You can go first, I guess.”  
“Where are you from?” Sam asked, deciding to start small.  
“Where are you from?”  
“Pittsburgh,” I answered simply, testing to see what little I could get away with telling him. Though I wanted to get things off my chest, I was still wary.

“Pittsburgh.”  
“Are you a hunter?”  
“Yes,” Shane answered as simply as Elliana, making her purse her lips a bit. She should have known better than to ask a yes or no question. “Do you have any relatives you can contact or stay with?”  
Though the next question was a bit heavier, Ellie stood her ground and let out a simple ‘no’. She took a drink and considered her next question more carefully.  
“How did you…first find out monsters were real?” she asked.  
Shane continued playing along. “Through a tragic experience.”

“How did you guys become hunters?” Ellie asked the boys, learning from last time.  
“Our dad was one,” Dean answered, immediately seeing the game Elliana was playing. “What happened to your family?” Sam gave him a bitch face but Dean just looked straight at Elliana.  
She took a deep breath and held it for a second, wondering whether or not to start opening up yet.  
“What happened to your family?”

After Shane had opened up to Elliana a bit and told her that his adopted daughter’s family was killed by demons, explaining herself was easier. It was relieving, then, to tell what happened to her. She told her story, voice quivering, and tears escaping by the end. She wasn’t sure if she could do that with the boys yet. Part of her wanted to, but she just didn’t know if they would be as trustworthy as Shane.  
Seeing Elliana’s pause, Sam shot Dean a look and spoke up. “Our mom was killed by a demon. Our dad became a hunter after that so, naturally, we eventually did too,” he explained, willing to level more with Ellie than Dean was. And at this statement, Ellie, again, couldn’t help the shock on her face. Could this be possible? She thought. Another person who’s family had been killed by demons?  
Flashes of her parents laying dead in her living room came across her mind as well as picturing Jenny being alone, also surrounded by her deceased family.  
The demon, in a different body, throwing my dad against the wall, sliding a knife into my mom.  
A young girl with no knowledge of the supernatural, wondering what happened to her family.  
Two young boys growing up without a mother, their father surely hell-bent on revenge.  
A few tears slid down Ellie’s cheeks and she heard Anaya let out a small whine, jumping onto the couch to push herself through her arms.  
“I…me too,” Elliana said, not bothering to wipe away her tears, though they began falling a bit faster as she continued. “My brother moved after he got possessed a few years ago…then my dad got possessed an-and the demon killed my parents a day after he left my dad. Not that it mattered anyway.” Elliana whispered the last part, focusing her gaze down to her hands as they made their way through Anaya’s fur.  
“Why do you say that?” Dean asked gently, a newly found softness in his expression.  
The girl just squeezed her eyes shut and shook my head. She didn’t notice Sam get up and sit next to her until he put an arm around her shoulders. When she doesn’t do anything to push Sam away, Dean hesitantly puts his hand over one of hers. The affections make her cry a little harder, as she isn’t used to being cared about since she had first left home.  
“He-he was just…he never…” she tried continuing but only ended up letting out a quick sob and being pulled into Sam’s side. She allowed herself to cry into his shoulder and Dean to rub soothing circles on her back in comfort. She hadn’t planned on letting them in so much, but boy did it feel good.

Two weeks in; and Elliana wasn’t sure she wanted to leave the Winchesters. Once she opened up to them, she truly saw they were caring and that they had begun to care about her. And she didn’t want to let that go.

“Look, kid – I know you’ve got a strong head on your shoulders and are about as stubborn as they come,” I let out a sly smile at this, “but I really would like for you to consider staying here for some time. Hell, maybe you and Jenny can go into the hunting business together,” Shane chuckled.

Ellie frowned a bit, remembering Shane’s kindness and hospitality; she felt bad for leaving so quickly, but she knew she had to keep moving. At least with the Winchesters, she could do that and have companionship going with her.  
She smiled lightly as she stared out the Impala window, grateful she found something good. It wasn’t long before she dozed off across the back seat, an arm draped across Anaya.  
Sam caught a glimpse of her sleeping and nudged Dean, nodding his head towards the back with a fond smile on his face. Dean glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled at the peaceful smile gracing Elliana’s face.  
Her form shivered ever so slightly and Sam shrugged off his flannel shirt and draped it over Ellie, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze before sitting back in his seat. Ellie had begun thinking more highly of the boys, but they had started thinking the same of her.


	3. "They're looking for me..."

Disclaimers: I do not own Supernatural, any of its characters, or Jenny or Shane (mentioned)  
Time frame: set early-mid S5  
Notes: Co-written by @sarimaposthumous (go check out her fic ‘The High Priestess’ for more of her character, Jenny, and a little bit of Elliana too!)  
Also, if you have read/are reading this fic, please leave a comment and let me know what you think! And much love to those who have liked and/or reposted!!! <3

 

     Elliana couldn’t help but smile as The High Priestess came into sight, the slight nostalgia giving her some comfort after a rough month alone. She walked into the bar and started looking for a familiar face.  
Standing on the other side of the bar, Jenny, Shane’s adopted daughter, stepped out of the office. She took notice of the emptier bar, used to winter slowing the business down a bit. She looked over at hearing the door open and spotted Elliana – the last person she expected to see right now. Jenny sighed, seeing Ellie looking around, probably expecting to see Shane.  
     The thought of her predecessor brought back memories of that night and her heart panged with sadness. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes; she shook her head, willing them away, and cleared her throat so she could call out to Ellie.  
     Ellie heard her and whipped her head in that direction. Her initial excitement at seeing Jenny was quickly put out when she saw the saddened look in her eyes. Looks like we both need someone right now, Elliana thought a bit grimly. So, she walked over, putting on as good a smile as she could muster.  
     “Hey, Jenny,” she said, pulling the girl into a hug. “Long time no see.”  
     “Hey, Ellie,” she said softly as she pulled away from her. “How have you been?” she asked, giving a small smile.  
     Ellie shrugged, her own smile faltering a bit. “Alright. You?”  
     “Probably not as alright as the façade we’re both putting on right now,” Jenny said, raising an eyebrow as she scanned the slightly younger girl’s face. “C’mon, let’s go talk in the back office,” she gestured for Ellie to follow her.  
     Elliana let out an airy chuckle at her statement and followed her to the office. Upon entering, Ellie furrowed her brow when it seemed to be lacking someone; and thinking back to Jenny’s melancholy aura, a dark feeling started growing in the pit of her stomach.  
     “Jenny,” she began, turning to face her. “Where’s Shane?”  
     Taking a deep breath and sighing, Jenny sat down. She put her face in her hands to collect herself before running her fingers through her hair. “Look, a little while after you left – maybe about 6 months ago…a demon…the demon who killed my family…” she inhaled a shaky breath before continuing. “I was locked in the supply closet and I heard the fighting…and the screaming, but the demon got the better of him. Shane, he…he managed to exorcise it, but when I ran out he…he died in my arms.”  
A tear ran down Jenny’s face before she quickly wiped it away and had to force herself to look Ellie in the eyes.  
     “Oh my gosh…” Ellie whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth to keep her lips from quivering. “Jenny, I’m so sorry,” she said, voice shaking. She reached out to grab her hands in comfort but couldn’t keep the few tears from streaking down her cheeks. She thought for a moment and something dawned on her – what if she had stayed all those months ago?  
     “I should’ve stayed,” she whispered again. “I might have been able to help…”  
     Jenny shook her head. “No…no it’s not your fault, don’t even think like that. I blamed myself for months, but Shane knew this life would catch up to him…he prepared for everything…he left all of this to me. Honestly, I didn’t know what shocked me more – his death, or the fact that they targeted me…I still don’t know why and Shane didn’t either,” she finished, shrugging. She sighed and went to change the subject. “So, what brings you here?”  
     Ellie nodded and wiped her remaining tears away; though she knew the next topic may bring them back anyway.

  
_Nov. 23, ‘09_   
_In another state, on another case. A woman said she swears the hulk killed her husband. There’ve been a couple other weird events and right now the guys and I are hanging around the motel room with a police scanner set up. So far we’re getting squat and it’s lunchtime so I’m gonna grab us some food._   
_(Later)_   
_I came back and Sam and Dean were gone. I found a note on the desk saying they picked something up on the scanner and were going to check it out and they’d text me soon. Said it shouldn’t be a big deal. I wish they would have taken me with them but whatever. I won’t say no to a break._

  
     Ellie took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky sigh, shrugging a bit.  
     “Just trying to find where I belong again I guess,” she said, eyes downcast. “I was on a hunt in Missouri a couple months ago and these two hunters came in and ended up helping a bit. They took me with them for a bit, trying to get me to stay with them permanently; I didn’t want to at first but gave in and after two weeks…I didn’t want to leave,” she explained, smiling a bit now at how fond she had grown of Sam and Dean after those two weeks.  
     Ellie’s heart clenched a little when she continued, “But uh… they just kind of vanished one day… said they were checking something out for the case we were working and would text me soon and…they never did. I tried looking for them but came up with nothing… I guess they just left me,” she shrugged, quickly wiping a few stray tears away.           “They were so nice though… it seemed like they really cared… and I just don’t know what to do now…”  
     Jenny froze, knowing full well who the hunters were that Ellie was talking about. Shane had warned her about them in the letter he left for Jenny. She still asked though, just to confirm her suspicions – “Who are these hunters you are talking about?”  
     “Their names are Sam and Dean.”  
     Jenny paused again. “Winchester?”  
     “Yeah…” Elliana said, quirking an eyebrow.  
     “Look, Ellie – I’ve picked up the business from Shane, both the bar and the hunting… Shane warned me about the Winchesters and other hunters have spoken about them around here. Anyone who gets mixed up with them, well, they end up dead. Perhaps it’s for the best that they left you.”

  
_“He-he was just…he never…” she tried continuing but only ended up letting out a quick sob and being pulled into Sam’s side. She allowed herself to cry into his shoulder and Dean to rub soothing circles on her back in comfort. She hadn’t planned on letting them in so much, but boy did it feel good._   
_“It’s alright, kid,” Dean said in a hushed tone._   
_Sam had rested his chin on top of Elliana’s head after a couple minutes of her crying and wrapped his arms around her protectively._   
_“You’re alright now,” he soothed._   
_“Look, kid – whatever else happened to you, you’re safe. And I know you’ve only known us a couple weeks but you’ve grown on us, squirt,” Dean continued, earning a quiet chuckle from Ellie. “If you decide to stay with us, we’ll always protect you.”_   
_“We promise,” Sam came in, confirming Dean’s words._   
_Though the boys couldn’t see it, Elliana had a smile spreading lightly across her lips and she melted into Sam a little bit more._

     Ellie’s heart shuddered for a moment when even Jenny seemed to believe Sam and Dean left her. She sighed and continued to look at the ground.  
     “I know it’s dangerous, but… I don’t know… it just felt… right being with them.” Elliana had heard some things about the Winchesters being a bit reckless; but there was something in Ellie that couldn’t blame them.  
     “And I mean, all hunters seem to end up dead anyway,” she continued, simply being honest. “And I’d rather it be around someone than alone.”  
     Jenny nodded. “That’s a fair point. And I just want you to be safe. I get why Shane kept me in the dark about the whole thing; we’re both still pretty young and still relatively inexperienced when it comes to life, to hunting…” She paused now. “Look, I’ve been networking with a lot of hunters. You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. If you really want to go back to hunting, maybe networking with other hunters while you’re here may help you.”  
     “Ok. Thanks,” Elliana said, still missing the boys. “You know, if you want,” she continued with a small smirk. “I could show you a few hunting tricks while I’m here. I won’t say I’m as skilled as any of the hunters here, but I’ve been at it for a little over a year now. Oh and I should probably tell you I have a dog with me now,” Ellie added with a cheesy smile, hoping Anaya would be able to stay with her at the bar as well.  
      “Perhaps we can show each other some hunting tricks. The hunters out there and even Bobby Singer have been helping adjust to the life more quickly,” Jenny smiled. She quickly glanced to the corner of the office, behind Ellie, at the invisible puppy passed out on the floor, before looking back to the 13-year-old. “And your dog is more than welcome as long as you take care of her and clean up after her.”  
     “Awesome,” Ellie said with a smile. “Wait, you know Bobby Singer?” she asked after a moment, an incredulous look on her face.  
     “He and Shane were really close,” Jenny said. “And when Shane died… Bobby showed up and arranged a hunter’s funeral before I made any real funeral arrangements. He also told me about what’s out there and damn near put me in shock – what with everything that happened at the time…” Jenny continued, chuckling a bit. “He finally got me to open the safe Shane had to read what he had left me.”  
     Elliana smiled a bit; definitely sounded like Bobby.  
     “Yeah, he’s pretty awesome. I ran into him a few months after I left my home. Helped me a lot. Like Shane did.”  
     “Did Bobby introduce you to the Winchesters? I know he’s a family friend.”  
     Ellie shook her head a bit. “No, actually. I didn’t officially meet the boys until I was hunting a grootslang in Missouri.”  
     “A grootslang, huh? Did you gank it before they did?” Jenny asked, smirking a bit.  
     Ellie laughed at this. “I would have if there hadn’t been two of them. Dumb things got me pretty good during my first attempt,” she responded, pointing up to the dark scarlet scar across the left side of her face and her casted arm before continuing. “I was actually going to leave ‘cause that broke my confidence quite a bit,” Elliana added, looking down at her feet for a moment. “And they were gonna set up for killing a wendigo so we ended up helping each other. They would’ve died hunting the wrong thing; and they helped me corner the stupid cryptids so I could kill ‘em.”  
     “Well, I’m glad you’re doing well on your own… and with the Winchesters. So where is your dog right now?”  
     I smiled a bit. “She’s outside. Didn’t want to bring her in until I knew it was ok with you.”  
     “I appreciate that; let’s go get her and we can get you guys settled in the apartment. And, what’s her name, by the way?”  
     “Anaya. And thank you, Jenny,” Ellie smiled again, before following Jenny out of the office.  
     A couple days later, Jenny stood behind the bar, wiping it down, while Elliana was learning to play pool from a couple of the older hunters across the room.  
     Two other hunters were sitting a few feet away from Jenny while chatting about a run in with a couple others. She moved closer to them and asked if they wanted a top off, to which they responded enthusiastically. When she turned around, she heard one of the hunters, Caden, say, “Yeah those Winchesters are something else. I heard an archangel messed with them about a couple weeks ago.”  
     Jenny perked up and whipped around as Mitch, the other hunter, responded.  
     “Man, they always get involved with this demon-angel business”  
     “The Winchesters?” Jenny interjected as she sat their drinks in front of them. Caden looked surprised at her inquiry of them.  
     “Yeah. I heard that they were trapped in some sort of alternate universe for a few days by some angel. I guess now they’re looking for some girl they’d been hunting with. Who knows what happened to her.”  
     Jenny nodded and walked over to her office, settled into her chair, and called Bobby. When she asked him about what Caden and Mitch had said, he told her the boys were indeed looking for Ellie. Jenny wanted so much to tell Elliana to stay with her, to not go back to the Winchesters, but Bobby told her that it wasn’t up to her whether Ellie goes back to them or not, and to let her decide.  
     Letting out a sigh, Jenny left her office and walked over to the pool table Ellie and some other hunters were gathered at.  
     “Hey, Ellie, we need to talk…”  
     Ellie snapped her head up at the serious tone in Jenny’s voice; she held a finger up to the hunters and signaled to Anaya to follow her and Jenny as they walked to an empty table on the other side of the bar.  
     “What’s wrong?” Elliana asked hesitantly, worried something might be wrong.  
     Jenny hesitated before telling Ellie what she had just learned. “Look, the Winchesters didn’t abandon you. I just overheard some hunters talking about them and also spoke with Bobby on the phone to double-check… they were sent into a TV land, I guess, by the archangel, Gabriel – I’m not sure whether or not you’ve run into him yet.  
“Anyway, they’ve been looking for you and asking around. I told Bobby you’re with me, but he knows not to tell them where that is – just that you’re alive and well. Now, you know how I feel about them and I would much rather you stay here… but that decision is yours. But if you do decide to go back to them, I just ask that you don’t tell them about me or Shane or this place.”  
By the time Jenny finished talking, Elliana’s heart was leaping and she had a hope-filled smile that spread across her face.  
“They’re looking for me…” she whispered, eyes widening a bit.  
When she picked back through everything else Jenny said, her smile quickly vanished.  
“Wait a second – did you say Gabriel?” Ellie asked, trying to hide the rising anger building up inside her.  
Concern filled Jenny’s face. “Wait, have you met Gabriel?”  
Multiple emotions and thoughts flowed through Elliana’s mind as she tried to figure out the best way to answer.  
“You could say that,” she said, her neck twinging in slight anger at the thought of Gabriel taking the boys without telling her anything. Her hand unconsciously grabbed at the necklace hanging in front of her chest.  
“Ellie, what happened?” Jenny pressed, knowing how dangerous Gabriel could be.  
Her voice pulled Elliana out of her trance. Ellie sighed, allowing herself to go back to that fateful event where she met the archangel.  
“Ok,” she started, sounding a bit defeated. “Did Shane tell you what happened to my parents?”  
“All he said in his journal was that they were killed by demons.”  
“So, my dad had been possessed and the demon smoked out of him one night before I could exorcise him. My dad wasn’t exactly the happiest when he came to, so I went up to my room and… prayed… a lot. I wanted away from him, but I was mostly scared of the demon coming back.  
“I woke up the next day to my parents screaming… the demon was back, but in a different body, and killed my parents. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fight him so… I just fell to my knees and prayed again – asking for someone to save me. Then there was this bright light and… there he was. The demon smoked out again after saying ‘this isn’t over’. Gabriel came up to me, told me the demon would probably come back for me, gave me – I mean, told me that I had to keep moving and that he would be watching over me.”  
Ellie stared down at the table as she finished, her free hand running through Anaya’s fur.  
“Oh, Ellie…” Jenny could feel tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m glad Gabriel came through for you,” she said, making Ellie think, yeah but I’m still gonna kill him for taking Sam and Dean.  
“Demons killed my family and I just wish I could know why. I still haven’t found the demon that killed my family… killed Shane… do you think our cases are similar?” Jenny continued, looking Elliana in the eyes still.  
“I don’t know,” Ellie said honestly. “They could be. When I see Gabe next, I’ll ask without mentioning your name or anything; when he saved me, he seemed to know the demon or something about him. I guess I’ve been so busy running from the demon to think about anything else. That and knowing I wouldn’t be able to face it by myself.”  
“Well, if you want my help, I’d be more than happy to help out.”  
“Thanks, Jenny. I’ll definitely think about it. But first I think I need to get myself re-situated and try to find myself. But I’ll let you know.”  
Jenny nodded before changing the topic. “Anyway, I told Bobby you’d give him a call if you wanted to set everything up with your reunion.”  
Elliana smiled at the thought of getting back to Sam and Dean, even though she’d be leaving again. “Thanks – I’ll do that. I know you want me to stay – or at least stay away from the Winchesters but… I just know that’s where I belong. But I promise not to tell them anything about you or the bar and I will definitely keep in touch. After all – we’ll have a demon to catch sometime,” she ended with a small smirk.  
Jenny chuckled and knew that Elliana would be able to take care of herself.  
“I appreciate the discretion, Ellie. Will you at least stay the night and head out in the morning?”  
Elliana agreed and gave Jenny a hug before going off to call Bobby. She walked up to the room she was staying in and dialed the number. As it rang, she ran a hand through her hair as that wide smile came back.  
“They’re looking for me,” she whispered, looking down at Anaya, who had no idea what was going on, but picked up on Ellie’s happiness and wagged her tail.


End file.
